Made the fire and it was a cheerful one. Made pies and at ten went to the dentist and had a tooth filled. It was not a classy office but a house that had been visited; but one of Frit sies Coughs and his visit was fatal. The desk was a trunk and the chair was a couple of boxes. It was very fine. At five there was a large killing—17 of our boys and wounded many. Six were taken prisoner and many chased out of their mud houses. Two officers were killed. All day there had been hard firing and much damage done. It has been a very busy day. We had Mr. Ward, Mr. Fergeson, and Mr. Hoffer as visitors and for lunch. We had a lot of fun. Had a very busy afternoon and a noisy night. Forty of our men were killed, wounded, or missing. It was a terrible battle. We got three German prisoners. One building was shelled in which 9 men were killed and wounded.
More Information
The following section provides historical context and is not part of the original diary entry.
Likely location: Near the front lines, Lorraine sector, France
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March 1918 was dominated by the German Spring Offensive (Operation Michael), which began on March 21. Though the main blow fell further north, the entire Western Front was affected. Margaret was near the front lines in the Lorraine sector during this anxious period.
Research Links for Further Study
- Watson, A. (2016). German spring offensives 1918. In 1914-1918-Online: International Encyclopedia of the First World War. Freie Universität Berlin.
- Library of Congress. (n.d.). The American Expeditionary Forces. Library of Congress Digital Collections.
- Boissoneault, L. (2017, April 12). The women who fried donuts and dodged bombs on the front lines of WWI. Smithsonian Magazine.
Diary of a World War I Donut Girl 